


OPERATION: R.E.C.A.L.L.

by Numbuh37



Category: Codename: Kids Next Door
Genre: Chad is a Bossy Big Bro, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Kuki is Best Friend, My First AO3 Post, My First Fanfic, My First Work in This Fandom, Please Don't Kill Me, Protective Numbuh 0.2, Protective Numbuh 1, Story not yet Over, This Fanfiction will be Put on Hold
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-09
Updated: 2020-10-14
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:42:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25805314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Numbuh37/pseuds/Numbuh37
Summary: Now an adult of age 58, Numbuh 37 looks through her notebooks -- containing her missions she went through, and her moments with fellow KND Operatives --  taking her back to the glory days as a child, and her biggest accomplishment: being part of the Kids Next Door.(This story is set pre-G:KND)Kids Next Door © Cartoon Network
Relationships: Lizzie Devine/Nigel Uno, Nigel Uno/Original Female Character
Kudos: 4





	1. OPERATION: D.R.E.A.M.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the memory scanner, Tania recalls the apocalyptic nightmare she had, to the members of Sector Z.

**D.R.E.A.M.**

**D** ream

 **R** eveals

 **E** vil

 **A** pproaching

 **M** ercilessly

  
  
_  
Newly bathed, clothed, and full from that night's dinner, the girl plopped on the mattress, positioned and buried herself under her favorite Rainbow Monkey themed thick blanket, and closed her eyes. The warmth of the blanket caused her to sleep in an instant as she snuggled deeply into the warmth cocooning her, letting her mind go adrift into a dream._   
  


\---  
  


_All was black. Nothing but a comfortable, soundless slumber._

*BOOM*

... Huh? 

_She covered her head with her blanket, hoping it would muffle out the sounds._

*BOOM BOOM*

_It didn't work. She exasperatedly turned to one side, curling up herself more into the blanket._

*BOOM*

_No good either. She returned to her previous position._

*BOOM BOOM BOOM*

_That does it._

_Her eyes finally snapped open in utter annoyance and with a low, irritated grumble, she sat herself up, got off the bed and stomped her way to the window. What was beyond the window, however, prompted her to back away slowly, her eyes as wide as saucers, her face white as a sheet._

_The cloudless sky was dyed in crimson red and the sun a blinding yellow. Along the streets and sidewalks were the people -- men, women, and children -- running amok, screaming in horror as lanky beings chased after them through the asphalt road. A handful of residences stood broken but tall amidst the chaos, while the unfortunate majority was unsparingly engulfed by the growing inferno. Glasses from windows and doors broke as the high temperature became overwhelming for them to withstand. Beams, walls, and roofs fell and burned along with the rest of the debris._

_The girl stood frozen in her spot, breathing heavily as her eyes scanned around her room, her heart beating as rapidly as the thoughts in her mind. She didn't know what to think, she didn't know what to do. She jumped violently at the screams from next door, warning her of the danger coming._

"Please! Please!" _The woman from next door cried out._ "Get away from us! Get away fro--!" 

*CRASH* _Silence._

_No sounds came after the last pleading words from her neighbor. Tears formed at the corners of her eyes, blurring her vision as she looked around her room desperately for a place to take refuge._

*BANG*

_She jumped in her spot, letting out a yelp at the crash from below._

_... Oh no._

_Now hyperventilating and limbs shaking in fear, she got on all fours and crawled under her bed. She carefully pulled down the blanket far enough for it to leave a gap between it and the carpet floor. The girl scooched further under the bed until she backed against the wall. Furniture breaking, glasses shattering, incomprehensible voices cackling... the sounds grew louder, announcing their approach to the second floor of her home. Covering her mouth with both hands to muffle her sobs, she shifted a bit to try to hear the door. With the sounds going closer_

_*BANG*_

_From the one-inch space between the floor and the blanket, she could only make out the intruder's footwear as that of Reverse sneakers. She nearly let out a yelp when she saw the shoes shift, walk towards her bed, and stop in front of it. She dared herself not to move an inch, before a hand grabbed her by the ankle pulling her out of her hiding spot. She screamed in horror, her hands clawing desperately from being pulled further._

_Just for her not to be pulled further._

_Whatever it was, that hand was pulled away from her, as she heard something being pounded, accompanied by grunts and cackles. Heaven knew how long she stayed in her position before all sounds ceased, and nothing but a pair of shoes went towards her direction. Hesitantly, she shifted once more, crawled slowly towards the gap to check just for her to be pulled again._

"Don't worry. You're safe now." _A voice assured her._

_The hand gripped hers protectively and gave it an encouraging squeeze. Taking a deep breath, she nodded to herself, proceeded her way from under the bed, to be greeted by a bright light._

  
\---

  
"That's what happened," the girl squeaked, sitting on a chair, her ankles and wrists bound on the armrests and chair legs, wearing a helmet with antennae. A group of five children nodded in understanding. 

The tall brunette boy stepped forward and placed his hands on her shoulders, looking at her squarely in the eyes, making sure she never missed a minute detail. "And nothing else happened to you, right?" She shook her head slowly, earning her a sigh of relief from the boy. Nodding to his friends, they removed the bonds on her ankles and wrists.

"I really don't know what to make of it, David." The girl asked, fear transparent in her tone. The tall boy went gave her an encouraging smile.

"We'll figure this out, T." David looked to his other three friends, who provided no response, before his eyes landed on the blond boy behind him, like a disciple would to his teacher. "What do you think, Bruce?"

Bruce thought of his answer carefully, before looking at his friends again. "Based on what we just witnessed on the screen," he pointed at the monitor just behind the group, "the dream looked too realistic to be considered fantasy. Chances of this kind of dream coming to life is a possibility." Despite the fear emanating from his friends, he's every bit proud that they kept brave fronts. "Until those dreams subside, or in case this MAY come true, she stays with one of us."

"She stays with me." David immediately voiced out. Bruce nodded in agreement.

"Okay." Bruce concluded, then looked at T. "And you stay close to him no matter what. Okay, Tania?" Tania nodded slowly. Bruce looked to the tall brunette. "Report to us, should you need assistance." David nodded.

With Tania still shaky from the nightmare, David wrapped an arm around her shoulder, giving her a one-arm hug. "It's gonna be fine. You'll see." When that assurance didn't work, he added, "I can finally teach you some Tai-Chi."

She immediately perked up and grabbed both his hands in excitement. "Really? Please teach me! Please, please, pleeeeease?" Seeing those happy highlights return to her eyes made David sigh in relief and ruffled her hair a bit. 

Before anyone of them can blink, it was time for them to depart.

After waving goodbye to their friends, David and Tania proceeded their way out of the treehouse and walked their way home, their friends watching over them from one of the windows.

"I thought you don't believe in those kinds of things," Lenny said to Bruce. "I mean, those just happen only in the head... right?" Bruce nodded at the tan boy's statement.

"I really don't believe in dreams, Lenny," The blond boy replied, "but if this can help her from having nightmares, then this would be the best solution."

"Dave's been really protective of her, though." Lenny pouted. "Guys don't even go near her at all with HIM around!" He shook his head in disbelief. "But gotta admit, they HAVE to be scared of him: he's pretty skilled." He shrugged, oblivious to Bruce's raised brow expression. "With him around, there shouldn't be any proble-- ow! What was THAT for, man?" He rubbed the spot on his head where the blond whacked him.

"Don't jinx it, Numbuh 0.4." 


	2. OPERATION: T.A.N.I.A.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While packing up for a sleepover at his friend's place, David remembers the first time his first meeting with Tania.

**T.A.N.I.A.  
  
  
T**hat

 **A** fternoon

 **N** ostalgia

 **I** s

 **A** wesome

Backpack of clean clothes: check.

Shampoo, soap and towels: check, check, check.

Game Man: check.

"Dave! Bruce said that he'll have someone pick us up!"

"Got it!" 

"Aren't you coming down yet?"

"Still packing."

A minute passed.

"Are you done yet?"

"Sis, the sleepover isn't 'til 7."

He felt her presence immediately, prompting him to turn to the door. Ah, there she is: peeking through the doorway -- in a night gown and a pair of knee-high black shorts, adorning an impatient pout -- was a redheaded girl, holding her Rainbow Monkey plush with one hand, and the door knob on the other. The boy couldn't help but chuckle, unaware of the folded tee falling to the floor. 

"You're slow!" She pouted more.

"Sorry, Tania," David laughed, shaking his head. "Tell you what: try to check if you have everything ready."

Tania stood proudly, revealing her knapsack. "Packed up and ready to go."

David briefly looked at her with a raised brow before turning back to his bag. "Really?"

"Yeahp!"

"Are you sure?"

"Yeahp?"

"Are you very, VERY sure?"

"Dave, I told you," she said, inserting her hand in the knapsack. "See? I've got my toothbrush, toothpaste, extra clothes, and -- wait, where is it?" David tilted his head in confusion. "My blanket! I thought I packed it."

He's thankful that his back is facing her at the moment, smiling to himself. "Better check your room, then," David suggested to her, now finally aware of the discarded tee and placed it in the bag, "and while you're at it, you can go over your stuff again before we leave." 

She couldn't argue with that. Fading footsteps and a slam of the door told David that Tania's run back to her room. 

He turned back to his bag, dug through his things and pulled out a familiar cloth: a thick sky blue blanket patterned with gold stars. He smiled down at the cloth fondly, rubbing its edges with his thumbs.

Letting out a sigh, his mind wandered in nostalgia.

\-- six years earlier --

The school bell rings.

The front doors of the school burst open as students raced their way out, cheering for their long-awaited freedom. 

True to his word, six-year-old David sat by the steps waiting for his parents to arrive. He looked at the other students around him and noticed most of the students had their older and younger siblings hugging them. He turned to his right: one of his classmates was hugged by her younger brother. He turned to his left: one of his batchmates was given a playful noogie before giving his older brother a high-five.

Siblings. Everywhere.

He crossed his arms and rested his chin on top. 

Why did he suddenly feel alone? He never felt like that before, and it hit him hard. Almost everyone has older or younger siblings. 

_How about me?_

The horn honked for his attention, prompting him to look up and spot his mother happily waving him over. Forcing himself a smile, he waved back at her as he rose from the steps and walked over towards the car. His mother noticed the sudden change of her son's expression, and frowned in concern. 

The car door opened, and David plopped himself onto his seat, placed his backpack beside him, rested his arm on the window ledge and stared out dully.

"How was school?" Mrs. Pitone asked, hoping the question distracted her son from his thoughts. 

"'tis okay," he sighed, his chin still rested on his arm, eyes not leaving the glass window. 

His mother looked at her window to see what caught her son's attention. And she found it: students with their siblings. Her eyes gazed from them to the unhappy boy behind her. She looked to her husband with a concerned look, earning a shake of the head from him, before she laid her hand on her tummy and let out a sad sigh. _All in due time_ , she thought to herself, rubbing her tummy. 

No word was exchanged between parents and son until dinner.  
  


\- months later - 

  
"Mom, we're home."

Silence.

"Mom?"

Silent still.

"Mom?"

That's weird. The house was never this quiet, let alone nighttime. But it's already 12 in the afternoon and the world is still awake at this time of day.

His bag slid off his shoulder and landed on the floor with a thump, as David ran towards the family room. He peeked from behind the sofa and there laid his mother, sound asleep, covered by a red blanket and her head rested on a fluffed pillow.

He settled himself in front of the sofa and lightly tapped her cheek. "Mom?" He whispered in her ear, causing her to stir awake. Recognizing the little voice, Mrs. Pitone turned to her soon, smiling at him sleepily. "You're home."

David nodded with a smile, and couldn't help but look at his mother's continuously growing tummy. "Did you eat a lot today?" He asked innocently, before his mother chuckled and shook her head. 

His father, who just entered their home and exchanged his shoes with his slippers by the entrance, walked over to his wife and gave her a kiss. "I didn't catch that. What did he ask you?" His wife whispered in his ear, and a chuckle escaped his lips before turning to his son.

Their reactions clearly confused the boy, so his father helped his wife sit up, went over to their son and knelt on either side of him. The boy felt himself shrink again. "Did... I say something funny?" He asked them hesitantly, earning himself heads shaking from his parents.

"It's not that, David," his father assured him, "we know you mean what you said."

"But I don't get it," David tilted his head in deeper confusion, "what's so funny?"

"Give me your hand, David," his mother let out her hand. He obediently obliged.

She guided his hand on her ever-growing tummy. Nothing happened. He looked up at her with a puzzled look.

"Wait for it." She patiently said to him, earning a nod from the boy. 

Waiting for it.

.  
.  
.

*thump*

...!!

His parents chuckled. David slowly turned to his parents in shock about what he just felt.

"Wh-What just--!"

His mother placed a hand on her tummy, a pleasant smile forming. "You'll be a big brother, David."

"To your new baby sister." His father grinned.

...

Did he hear it correctly? 

His hand lifted off his mother's stomach, his head bowed with a wide-eyed expression: a complete picture defining shock. His parents frowned in concern, before they jumped slightly at the boy, who burst into loud cheers and laughter. 

The sight of him spazzing around the room like a kid in Christmas -- well, Christmas came pretty early for him -- made his parents laugh along with him, before he ran back to his mother, eyes sparkling. "Can I see her? Please, please, please?"

His mother giggled. "She's in my tummy." He moved from his mother's side to her feet with a determined pout, and positioned himself on all fours. "What are you up to now?"

"I'm gonna get her!" He beamed before he scooched himself under his mother's maternity dress. "Hellooooo!" He called out from under the skirt.

Both parents burst into laughter before his father went over and scooped up his son, who flailed in his father's arms.

"Whyyyy?" He cried out. "Why can't I see her?" 

His father plopped his son on one side of the sofa. "She'll be out soon. You'll see." He said patiently, placing a hand on David's shoulder. 

"When 'soon'?"

"Soon."

A sad sigh escaped the boy's lips and nodded his head.

\- weeks later - 

Leaning against his light-snoring father, David slept soundly while the two waited for news from their attending nurse. 

Minutes turned to hours and David remained asleep in his seat, completely unaware of his father's absence and his grandfather's presence beside him.

\- hours later -

A hand laid on the boy's shoulder, gently shaking him awake. No avail.

"David," his grandfather's voice whispered in his ear, "time to wake up." No luck.

"Not yet." Was his grandson's sleepy reply, crossing his arms. The adults couldn't help but chuckle a bit.

The boy slept so soundly that he didn't feel being carried, hearing the door open and close behind him, or even feel being placed on a bed.

It took few more minutes before he stirred in his spot on the bed. He turned to his side, his eyes slowly opened to see his mother's tired smile looking at him. She gently patted his head.

"Hi, David," she cooed, "How's my little soldier?"

"Sleepy~" He replied sleepily, curled up beside her.

"Want to see your new baby sister?" She asked, caressing his cheek. He sat up immediately and looked at his mother excitedly.

"Wh-Where? Where is she?" Excitement emanated from him while he bounced in his spot. "Mom, where is she, where is she?"

His mother smiled pleasantly before she turned to the little bundle in her arms, and David's eyes couldn't get any wider. Tucked into the boy's favorite starry blanket was an infant girl, sleeping soundly in its warmth. Excitement unending, David leaned closer to the little one.

"She's so small." He whispered, lightly poking the back of his infant sister's hand. His mother caught his hand, prompting David to look up at her. She shook her head. 

"Let her sleep, David." She told him, and he complied and lowered his hand. He couldn't help but feel at awe at what's before him: a baby; but not just any baby. But a baby sister.

 **HIS** baby sister.

It's too good to be true!

He bounced lightly in his spot beside his mother, his emerald eyes not leaving the little girl. His father chuckled to himself, then cleared his throat. "David," he finally spoke, causing the boy to turn to his father. Mr. Pitone laid a hand on his son's head and gently patted it. "Now that you have a little sister, what would you like to do?"

The boy thought a bit. It didn't take long before David turned to his father with a confident grin. "I'll protect her!" He declared confidently. "I'll teach her tai-chi when she's a little older!" He hopped off the bed and demonstrated some moves, complete with sound effects. "I'll play with her always! We can play Hide-and-Seek!" And his to-do list went on.

It didn't take long before he fell silent, his eyes not leaving the baby. The nurse smiled at the sight before turning to his mother. "Do you have a name for her?"

Mr. and Mrs. Pitone looked at each other and smile in agreement before turning to the nurse: "Tatiana Lune Pitone." 

"Tania, for short." David's mother added, and then looked at her son. David's face clearly read, 'I really want to carry her', as he focused on nothing but the sleeping baby girl. "Would you like to carry her?" His head snapped up to her. 

"C-Can I?" He asked softly, earning a nod from his mother. 

"Okay, place your arm like this..." She showed him while he imitated the position. "That's it. Now," she shifted herself a bit to face him, carefully handing the baby to the boy, "easy does it...there you go." Tears formed in her eyes at the scene before her, her hands covering her mouth. 

"Don't move, okay?" His father instructed, earning a slow nod from the boy. "Okay: one, two, three!"  


\- end of flashback - 

  
A tearful smile formed on his lips with the picture in his hand. He turned to his bedside table and grabbed the translucent tape. He tore four small strips and taped the corners of the photograph at the back of a leather notebook, which was then placed under the bed.

"Dave, the driver's here!"

"Coming!"

Bag zipped, David pulled it over his shoulder. He stopped at the doorway and turned to his bed where the notebook was kept, giving a tearful smile.

"Daaaaave!"

"Coming, coming."

With a flick of the light switch and closing of the door, he left for the front door to meet his sister. And there she is: his dear little sister, pouting at him while tapping her foot impatiently, hands on her waist. "What took you so long?" She asked with a raised brow, tilting her head slightly. 

He shook his head. "Nothing, just," he turned to the stairs again and continued to look up with a knowing smile, "forgot something too."

"You're really weird. You know that, right?" She said, still utterly confused with her brother who continued to stare up the stairs, for reasons unknown to her. "C'mon! Everyone's waiting."

"Yeah."


	3. OPERATION: G.H.O.S.T.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Constance hosts a sleepover in Bruce's place, until an uninvited guest comes in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I apologize for the late update. Work had been piling up mercilessly, so I'll try to update as much as I can. 
> 
> Please bear with me!

Ghost

Haunts

Overnight

Stay

Tonight

The wheels of the vehicle screeched against the asphalt road, pulling up in front of the unfamiliar residence. The car window lowered for Tania to peek out, grinning from ear to ear, with eyes filled with uncontained excitement. The brunet boy just smiled to himself, shaking his head at his sister's antics. He grabbed her hand, causing her to look back at him.

"Alright, eager beaver, I know you're excited to see everyone," David asked with a raised brow, "but you better get back in, unless you wanna be cut in half." With a playful pout, his sister complied and plopped back to her seat next to him. The opening and closing of the front car door told them that the driver got out just to open the car door for the guests.

Tania hopped out of the car first, with David letting out a nod of thanks to the driver before following closely behind. Bouncing in the spot similar to a sugar rush, Tania looked for the doorbell to either press or pull to signal their arrival. Since she couldn't find any, she rapidly knocked on the door.

"Ooookay, that's enough," David laughed, grabbing her reddened hand and gently patted it, "you might drill a hole on the door with the knocking." Tania laughed while giving him a playful nudge.

"I'm fiiine~" she replied. "I mean, who CAN'T be excited to come over to his place?" David's mouth opened a moment to speak, but nothing came out. It occured to him that this was Tania's first time to be invited to his friends' sleepover. He nodded in agreement. 

"With Constance as host for this sleepover," David added, "expect lots of good food. And I mean: LOTS AND LOTS of good food."

"W-Wait, does that mean... she's also in-charge of the food when you guys hang out?" She looked up at him, earning herself a nod. Her grin couldn't get any wider, and her eyes any more sparkly. She closed her eyes, rubbed her hands together as she began to imagine the food they might eat soon, letting out an 'Mmmm' response.

The front door opened to reveal a familiar dark-skinned boy in a yellow long-sleeve and navy blue pajama bottoms with white stripes, holding the door knob with one hand and a pillow on the other. "Heeeey, you guys made it!" Lenny beamed at them, giving Tania a high-five and a fist bump with David, before standing aside for them to enter the house. In they went and the door closed.

"You two go on ahead," he pointed upstairs. "The guys're already upstairs."  
  
"Where're you headed?" David asked, watching his friend walk ahead.

"Gonna help Ogie with the snacks." He replied with a smile, his hand by the kitchen door. 

"Do you guys need help?" The brunet asked, handing his bag to Tania. 

"Nah, we're good thanks," he replied, before gently guiding David and his sister towards the stairs. "Now, goooo!" The siblings laughed at that before proceeding upstairs.

David knocked on the door, and leaned for any sounds from the room. Oh! There were sounds of scrambling from inside, before the door opened to reveal a blonde-haired boy. 

"Hey," Bruce greeted the siblings with a smile, "You guys came in just in time." He stood aside for the two to enter the room and settle. The room was a spacious and dim. The only light in the darkness was the moonlight outlining a huge blanket fort occupying the heart of the room. Pillows were scattered around the corners of the tent, sleeping bags laid out surrounding an unlit gas lamp. Must be their indoor version of a campfire. Tania's eyes couldn't get any bigger with awe, while her brother looked at her with crossed arms and a proud smirk. Bruce mirrored the gesture.

"Wow." Was all she muttered. 

"Cool, huh?" A blonde-haired girl asked, snapping Tania out of the trance, obviously just as proud. She wore a sky blue long-sleeved tee and a pair of white fitted shorts, her blonde-hair tied in a braid. 

"Y-Yeah! It REALLY is!" Tania exclaimed, dropping her stuff on the floor. "This. Is REALLY. COOL." Ashley chuckled at that, before giving the siblings a fist bump. The blonde-haired girl looked behind Tania to see a Rainbow Monkey plush peeking out from the girl's bag, covered her mouth with her hand to muffle a laugh. Not that she found it childish or anything; she just found it adorable.

A knock sounded on the door few moments after the siblings settled their stuff next to their respective sleeping bags. Tania got up, ran towards the door and opened it, just to inhale the mouth-watering aroma. Constance and Lenny laughed at that, carrying large trays of food and drinks ranging from mini pizzas, to hamburgers, to sodas, to slices of cake. Tania's mouth left ajar.

"These... are just snacks?" Tania mouthed in shock. Laughter filled the room. 

"Snacks, dinner and dessert," Constance replied matter-of-factly and winked at her. "It's not even midnight snacks yet."

"Let's get this party starteeeed!" Lenny exclaimed, laying the food down.

  
\-- hours of fun later --

  
The group surrounded the gas lamp, their faces aglow by its light. 

"Now, who's up for some stories?" Lenny sat up, the others followed suit. 

"What kind of stories?" Tania asked, hugging her pillow close while leaning her head on her brother's shoulder. David wrapped an arm around her.

A click sounded and Lenny's face lit up, a flashlight under his chin. "Ghooooost storieeees." Bruce rolled his eyes, Constance and Ashley whispered to one another, David shook his head with a small smile, and Tania bounced in her spot excitedly. 

"Who wants t'go first?" No one responded, causing him to shrug. "Me then. Alright: here goes." The group sat around the gas lamp, listening intently. 

"A friend of mine Numbuh 1300 --" His friends all had raised brows. "Very high number, I know. He picked it, not me." He shrugged then cleared his throat. "As I was saying: Numbuh 1300. We just finished boxing practice one time, and it's time to wrap up. After putting back the equipment, we went straight for the showers. We were just mindin' our own business, when we heard our teammates draggin' someone into one of the shower cubicles. The cubicles were completely sealed, so no one peeks at anyone. Numbuh 1300 and I were about to help, but this tall dude blocked our way, allowin' the others to push the poor guy in the cubicle: locking him from the outside." His friends let out growls of irritation, mirroring the expression he had at the memory. "Then the school janitor told us that the school will be closin' up soon, so Numbuh 1300 and I hurried up and got dressed in the locker room. While packing up, Numbuh 1300 was unusually quiet. I asked him if he was okay, and he told me that he felt something off. He ran out of the locker room, with me goin' after him. I asked him what was goin' on, and asked me if I noticed that everything was too quiet. That's when it hit me, and he's right. When we reached the shower area, it was DEAD quiet. We went towards that cubicle where the guy was dragged into and knocked, just for the door to open. No one was there. We went and knocked the corners. Nada. No secret passages. Nothin'. We ran out of the shower area and went back to the locker room." 

"'Where'd you guys go?' We turned 'round and saw it was the same dude who got dragged in the cubicle. 'We thought you're still in there.' Numbuh 1300 told him. The dude just tilted his head, confused. Then y'know what the dude say?" They all inhaled in anticipation.

"'I've been out here all this time.'" 

Silence filled the fort. Bruce crossed his arms, eyes closed. Constance covered her mouth with her hands in horror. Ashley gripped onto the pillows surrounding her, containing herself from screaming. David tried to keep himself composed, while Tania shakily peeked from behind him. 

"Okay! Who's next?"

  
\-- few horror stories later --

  
"Just two more!" Lenny announced. "Man, we're really keepin' ourselves together real good." He looked at his friends, from Constance, to Ashley, to Bruce, to David, and to Tania. "So: Who's next?" A shaky hand raised from behind David, a shaky Tania rose and settled herself beside her brother.

"C-Can I give a try?" Tania squeaked. She felt a hand patting her back, causing her to yelp. But feeling that familiar tight squeeze meant that her brother's there for her. Taking a deep breath, she began.

"W-Well, this happened back a-at Gallagher when one of my friends went to borrow a book from the library before going home. While looking for her book, she heard someone say... umm... hang on." She unzipped her bag and grabbed a notepad and a pen, and jotted down what she heard. The group gathered around the notepad and read out loud simultaneously and gibberishly. It's a language they don't know. All eyes were on her, signaling her to go on. She obliged. "My friend asked our teacher, who asked another teacher what this meant." After placing her notepad under her pillow, she turned to them before she gulped, their faces closing in with anticipation. "It meant ---"

Something tapped rapidly against the glass window, causing them all -- save for the ever-calm Bruce -- to scream and huddle with each other. They turned to the source of the noise: a tree branch tapping against the glass window. Eliciting sighs of relief followed by nervous laughs, the group loosened its huddle and settled once more. 

"What did the teacher say then?" Bruce said, clearing his throat. 

Tania responded with a gulp. As her mouth opened, nothing came out, as the lights started to flicker in the room. 

"N-Nice try trying to scare u-us." Lenny stuttered.

Their leader raised a confused brow. "What are you talking about?"

"A-Are you trying to get back at us for the gh-ghost stories?"

Bruce glared at him and shook his head. He got up and went over to the nearest lamp and turned the bulb. "The lights were fine a while ago." He clarified. "I checked them all myself."

The lights died out.

"Looks like y'miss one." Lenny pointed at the faulty light bulb that Bruce was holding, the latter still glaring at Lenny as he made his way back to his group. 

Everyone continued to huddle together for warmth, as the coldness slowly filled the fort. 

Silence decended. 

Nothing but nervous breathing from the group. David pulled Tania to himself, with the latter holding a fistful of his pajama top. Constance, Ashley and Lenny scanned around the room, while Bruce focused on the door to make sure no one came in. 

_"Ring... around... the... Rosie...."_

The whole group jumped into a more defensive stance. David looked down on Tania, her grip on his top tightened as her fists shook in intense fear. Gingerly he lifted her chin to meet wide, green ones, her face completely white as a sheet. He pulled her back to himself, as he scanned around the room as well. 

"Wh-Who's there!" Bruce voiced out, his weapon out at the ready.

Deafening silence.

_"A... pocket... full... of... posies..."_

The second line of the nursery rhyme was sung softer than the first, sending a mix of relief and chills down the kids' spines. Fear only increased by how eerily slow it was sung. One thing came to mind: The louder the song was sung, the closer whoever or whatever was with them. 

The voice distanced. _"Ashes.... Ashes...."_

Dead. Silence.

Breathing heavily. Hearts rapidly beating. Eyes frantically scanning each corner of the room. Sweat sliding down their faces. 

It distanced even more. _"We all.... fall...."_

Now a whisper: _"Down..."_

Tania shook in her brother's arms, aware of the distancing voice. Her face facing the ceiling, she slowly opened her eyes to meet red ones with a wide, slit smile, smirking evilly at her. The remaining color flushed down from her face, her eyes remained locked at the figure above everyone. She let out a ear-piercing scream.

"Kids Next Door, battle stations!" Bruce called out, prompting his team to finally look up.

Swallowing the fear they're feeling at that moment upon laying eyes on the figure, they charged at it, attacking it like they would do with a piñata. 

  
\- minutes of fight later -

  
"Why'd you do that!" Bruce scolded the figure tied in front of everyone. The figure bore a striking resemblance to the Sector Z's leader, from the blond hair down to the determined deep blue eyes, save for the bruises on the face. 

"It's just for fun." The figure shrugged in reply. "And good practice for Halloween coming up." The team groaned in frustration. Tania remained clawed to her brother, who glared darkly at the person in front of them before he got up and carried her off. 

David returned to the group not that long after.

"How's she?" Lenny asked the brunet.

"She fell asleep," David sighed in relief. "Good thing too." He turned to the taller blond with a glare, causing the latter to flinch. "She's never fond of ghosts." 

"You scared us half to DEATH, Jest." The younger blond glared. "Y'know, if Dave wasn't here and his sister's --"

"WAIT, wait. Hang on." Jester interrupted. "I only assumed it was just YOUR group coming." He took a quick glance at the sleeping girl hugging her Rainbow Monkey plush. "I really didn't know that SHE would come."

"Well, expect her to be coming to our sleepovers from here on out," Bruce smirked, then he pointed towards the door. "If you please, big brother." The said older blond turned his heel towards the doorway and pulled the door behind him. Bruce shook his head in annoyance. "He never changed. I can't believe his older than me."

"So! Who's up for some games?" Lenny chirped.

"I'll pass," David waved off, walking towards his spot next to his sleeping sibling, but not laying down just yet. Pulling out a leather notebook (similar to the one left at home), he began to scribble. Curious eyes landed on him. "It's nothing. I'm just planning what we're gonna do next."

It took a few seconds before they all shrugged at one another and helped themselves to Lenny's games, while the brunet continued to scribble on his hardbound book. As to what he was writing, no one knows.


	4. OPERATION: C.O.M.F.O.R.T

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Constance comforts Tania because her brother would not let her become part of the Kids Next Door. 
> 
> But she begs to differ.

**C** onstance

 **O** ffers

 **M** iserable

 **F** riend

 **O** nly

 **R** elieving

 **T** houghts

From the hidden entrance down to their respective rooms and gathering area, silence conquered the Sector Z treehouse. Save for the discarded candy bar wrappers and toppled soda bottles on the floor, and rolled out blueprints on the rounded conference table, not one piece of equipment or machinery was touched. What can one expect? It was one of those days where the group was free from grueling missions against adults. It's entirely fitting that they get a rewarding break. Everywhere is empty and quiet --

*clang clang clang*

\-- except that.

The clanging sounds can be heard from the gathering area, its volume increasing upon descending the staircase leading to the kitchen. Stirring in a metal bowl with a whisk was Constance, whisking in pure concentration, frequently increasing and decreasing the whisking speed when she felt the need to do so. 

Happy with the thickness of the bowl's contents, and with one hand on the whisk and the other supporting the mixing bowl, Constance started tapping the excess transparent, sticky goo off of her handheld mixing equipment before discarding it in an already full sink. Bowls of different sizes, measuring cups, measuring spoons, a wooden spoon and, now, the whisk filled the sink -- it's so full that there was little to no room to wash, unless the counter was freed from empty vials and ripped boxes.

What she was mixing and what for, no one knew. 

Peeping from behind the focused team's cook with equal concentration was Tania, her brow raised in confusion, seeing that the bowl contained only sticky transparent goo. She gently tapped Constance's shoulder, causing the latter to yelp in surprise and turned to Tania with a frustrated pout.

"Wha-! Don't scare me like that!" Constance exclaimed, her back against the table, covering the bowl with the mysterious goo. 

"Sorry," Tania chuckled nervously, scratching the back of her head, "David told me to see how you're doing." Now it was her turn to frown. "We noticed that you've been pretty busy ever since the team filed for a 1-week leave. Are you okay?" 

Tenseness from the idea that the concoction will be exposed decreasing, Numbuh 0.5 sighed in relief. "It's nothing really," she replied, taking her glasses off and wiped it with her apron before putting them back on, "I feel like creating something." Tania tilted her head slightly, prompting Constance to continue. "With the missions done and a leave filed, this is the perfect chance I can create the best lollipop ever!" 

"The best... lollipop?"

"THE BEST. LOLLIPOP. EVER!" Constance's eyes sparkled in determination and excitement. "And you guys will be the first ones to try them!" Hearing that made Tania hop in her spot excitedly, clapping her hands with equal eagerness.

"Can't wait!" A light bulb lit. "Is there anything I can do to help?" Constance raised her finger to her lips in thought.

"I was supposed to do it alone," she voiced her thoughts, causing Tania's smile to falter. "But what if..." She turned to Tania and gave her a smirk. "T, what do you think of going on a mission with me?"

... Did Tania hear her correctly? The mic dropped dead. 

"A... A mission? With you?" Tania reiterated. 

"Mhm. Are you up for it?"

"You bet!" Tania laughed and hugged Constance, the latter left in shock with the sudden contact before returning it with a pat on the back. The hug loosened, prompting Constance to look at the unsure girl in front of her. "B-But what would David say? He told me that I need more training before going into one."

Tania felt a hand on her shoulder, causing her emerald eyes to meet a pair of determined hazel ones. She shrunk under Constance's gaze. "Then let this be a chance for you to prove yourself to him that you got what it takes."

Tania fidgetted her fingers, something Constance didn't like seeing from David's younger sister. "Nothing will happen if you don't try. Think about it: you complain to me or Ashley about you not being included in the team missions -- WANTING to help us -- to the point you and David butt heads at times. And yet here you are: unsure and scared what your brother would think. Seeing you mope and putting yourself down like that... is very tiring to see. I'm not just speaking for myself, but for the group." Constance knew that she struck a nerve, as she felt Tania's shoulder shake. "But I know you can do more. WE know you can do more. Why do you think David's been hard on your training? He knows that you can be more than who you are now. Heck, he told us that you'd surpass him!"

Constance guided Tania to the dining area, settled herself on her chair and patted for the younger girl to sit next to her. Tania obliged. "I don't know if you know about this, but... your brother had been watching over you more than you think." Shocked green eyes looked at Numbuh 0.5, causing the latter to lightly chuckle. "Before you were born, David's been training like crazy. After a mission, he'd go back home and continue to self-train. I was there that one time that he told me."

"He told you what?"

  
\-- start of flashback --

_It was the day when David and Tania had one of their arguments about the latter entering the Kids Next Door. Like previous arguments, David objected to the idea, despite the younger one insisting that she was ready. And like all their arguments, it ended with her running to her room._

_David leaned against the tree after practicing tai-chi and another martial art he learned. By then, he contemplated on his argument with his sister, until he heard the grass rustle to see Constance walking towards him._

"So this is what you've been doin' after missions." _Constance remarked with a smirk, a hand on her waist._

 _The brunet chuckled tiredly._ "I have to."

 _Constance gave a concerned frown._ "Dave, aren't you a bit hard on her? I mean, it's cool that she's training under you, and by all means, she became a pretty capable fighter. But," _she sighed with her arms crossed,_ "at least give her a break." _David frowned at her words._

"She isn't ready to go on missions yet, Ogie."

"You don't know that."

"I do know."

"No. You don't."

_Silence._

"Look, I'm not defending her, okay? All I'm saying is that you're too uptight with her. How can she go on her own if you keep protecting her?" _David didn't face her. "_ She had to ask permission from you before going someplace else, even if it's just us." _She sighed sadly, shaking her head._ "I can understand why you don't trust her because she --"

"It's not that I don't trust her," _David interrupted._ "I trust her fully and am aware on how skilled she can be." _Wait, is that a smile Constance is seeing now?_

"I'm even so proud of her." _He smiled to himself at the thought. "_ She's... she's the best thing that ever happened to me, Ogie. And I would do anything to make sure that she's prepared for anything." _His smile faltered._ "But I always kept thinking if her training under me was ever enough."

 _Rubbing her temples, Constance punched David's arm, causing the latter to rub the sore spot._ "Listen, Numbuh 0.2, you've done more than enough to prepare her. And SHE is more than capable than any of us in combat. Whenever I see her fight, I see you! Her confidence, her determination, her gutsiness... she became all those because of you. So don't put yourself down like that!" _Her voice toned to calm, she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder._ "She's strong, Dave. And you aren't the only one who's proud of her."

"We all are."

 _Both turned to the direction of the voice to see Bruce walking towards them, with Ashley and Lenny following close behind._ "She's more than capable to face what comes her way, David. Under your supervision, she turned to a fierce fighter in physical combat."

"She may have failed to dodge most attacks I throw on her," _Ashley added,_ "but the fact that she actually dodged SOME shows that she has what it takes to go on her own."

"Aaaand let's not forget that one time she actually helped a kid from getting bullied!" _Lenny piped in, causing David to look at him._ "Dude, your sis just stood up to a bully twice or more times her size back at school." _The brunet frowned at him and was about to ask why the former was not informed of this, pushing Lenny to continue._ "And yeah, I was just watchin' it all happen from someplace else, B-BUT! I just wanna see if she has what it takes to be part of the Kids Next Door. Good thing I didn't. She can kick serious butt." _He tried to imitate how Tania dealt with the bully, much to everyone's amusement._ "Jokin' aside: she's got a chance, bro."

 _Constance looked to David. "_ So, what do you think? Will you let her go every once in a while?"

 _David thought for a while, before looking at them with a confident smile and nodded._ "She's my little sister, after all." _He adjusted himself before leaning against the tree._ "She needs as much experience as she can get if she wants to be part of the Kids Next Door."

  
\-- end of flashback --

Tania remained in her place, shocked by what Constance disclosed to her. What broke her trance though, was the shattering of one of the measuring cups on the kitchen floor. Thankfully the measuring cup was not as big, but it's still as dangerous. 

"So: you in?" Constance asked, after picking up the last fragment of the cup and dropped it in a plastic bag. She looked to Tania and saw a confident smile, causing her to smile proudly. "I'll take that as a yes." Tania nodded excitedly, prompting Constance to chuckle.


	5. NOTIFICATION: N.O.T.E.

now loading:

kids next door notification

notification:

N.O.T.E.

New

Opportunity 

To

Experiment

Hi Readers!

This may be too early to say since there were only 4 chapters in; but I would like to thank you for reading my fan fiction :)

I would have to put the fan fiction on hold at the moment, and the story will certainly not stop where it is now. It won't be abandoned; I am planning another approach on how the story can be told. 

As a fan of Codename: Kids Next Door -- this being my very first fan fiction for the series, and a very first fan fiction after more than 10 years of not writing (not a lie or a joke) -- I'll do what I can to make the story better. I may include the current chapters in the revised version, but may need to be improved at some points. 

Please bear with me and thanks for understanding!

\-- end of transmission --


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